Organisational responses to consumer complaints on Facebook business pages: the effect on consumer behaviours and attitudes

While firms primarily use Facebook business pages as a consumer engagement tool, consumers are increasingly using business pages as a platform for complaint behaviour. Other Facebook users can easily observe this behaviour, providing the firm with the opportunity to display effective complaint management to a wide audience. Conversely, ineffective complaint handling on Facebook business pages can compound negative implications for the firm. This thesis with publication comprises three core papers, which examine the effect of organisational responses to complaints made on Facebook business pages on affective and behavioural responses of consumers. Using an experimental design, the first paper examines the effect of Facebook business page visual cues on complaint behaviour and attitudes toward the firm. Findings demonstrated that the presence of complaints on a business page increased the likelihood that other consumers would post complaints. Further, redress offered by the firm was more important to consumers than the time taken for the firm to respond to complaints. The second paper showed that the use of humour in complaint responses on business pages generates rapport between the firm and the consumer, which in turn, improves service recovery satisfaction and attitude toward the firm. However, only when the humour expressed by the firm mirrored a complainants’ use of humour. Finally, the third paper considered the role of co-consumers in the online complaint process. Consumers were less likely to complain on a Facebook business page when they observed comments by non-supportive co-consumers, as opposed to supportive consumers, in response to a complaint. As a result, their likelihood to complain in a non-observable manner via Facebook Messenger increased. Social risk explained this relationship, where social risk diminished when the firm intervened in the presence of non-supportive comments made by co-consumers. This thesis contributes to the complaint management literature, presenting much needed information on Facebook business pages as a consumer complaint channel. Findings provide guidance, for academics and managers alike, on those organisational approaches to complaints that elicit the most positive consumer responses.